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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30029220">Falling</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyePatch/pseuds/AyePatch'>AyePatch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>AyePatch's Bumbleby Fics [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>But dammit I will die on this hill because it is CUTE, Canon Compliant, F/F, Some might argue it wouldn't have snowed between volumes 1 and 2, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:48:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30029220</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyePatch/pseuds/AyePatch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>During the break after her first semester at Beacon, Yang Xiao Long comes to a... complicating realization about her feelings for her partner.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>AyePatch's Bumbleby Fics [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Falling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Set between Volumes 1 and 2</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“It’sSnowingIt’sSnowingIt’sSnowingIt’sSnowing!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  
  <span>*Thunk!*</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Yang stirred awake on her bunk to the sound of her little sister and Team Leader squealing in delight by the window. Across the room, Weiss Schnee groaned irritably from the floor next to her bed, and below Yang, Blake had already thrown aside her covers and was pressed against the window next to Ruby, eyes wide. “It’s so pretty…” The ravenette gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Weiss had sat back down on her bed and crossed her arms with a huff. “It’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>nuisance</span>
  </em>
  <span> is what it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Don’t be such a spoilsport, Weiss!” Ruby whined, turning to face her with a pout.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I grew up in Atlas,” Weiss replied simply. “Nobody who has to deal with that stuff regularly could ever actually care for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Uhh, it snows here all the time,” Yang replied, dropping down from her bunk and standing next to Blake. “Ruby and I’ve had to shovel it all our lives. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> just crabby.” She looked over to Blake, who was still staring out the window in a trance, her amber eyes shining like liquid gold and her mouth open in an awestruck smile. Yang felt her chest tighten a little in a way that seemed to be happening more and more around her partner ever since she’d returned after running away near the end of the first semester, and if Yang’s gaze was squarely on Blake instead of the snow falling outside, it must have just been because she’d already seen snow so many times before.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Yeah. That was definitely it.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I’ve never seen it in person before,” Blake murmured. “Only in pictures and videos.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Well, you’ll have plenty of time to soak it in,” Weiss said, collapsing her scroll and standing up. “It’s not supposed to stop until tomorrow morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Where are you going?!” Ruby asked with far more energy than was warranted.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“To get </span>
  <em>
    <span>dressed</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you dolt,” Weiss replied as if it was obvious. “I don’t know about you all, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>hungry for breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Right! The cafeteria will have an even </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span> view of the snow! You’re a </span>
  <em>
    <span>genius</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Weiss!”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>As Ruby disappeared from the windowsill, Yang gently bumped shoulders with Blake. “You gonna come to breakfast?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“In a bit,” Blake replied, still glued firmly to the window.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Yang chuckled, her heart feeling strangely tight and fuzzy as she continued to watch Blake stare out the window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Breakfast could wait a </span>
  <em>
    <span>few </span>
  </em>
  <span>more minutes.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  
  <span>The best part about coming to Beacon, Yang decided as she watched students flocking to the cafeteria windows, their gasps and murmurs forming the ambiance for today, was getting to watch as people saw snow for the first time. She sensed motion next to her and turned to see Blake returning from one of the windows, still with an almost giddy expression on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, maybe not the </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>best</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> part…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Did… you get this for me?” Blake asked as she sat down at the table and noticed the full plate of food and glass of water in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Yang blushed. “Well, I… figured I might as well, since, y’know, I was already over there to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> breakfast, and you were watching the snow…”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“You didn’t have to do that,” Blake said shyly, a rosiness in her cheeks that Yang hoped </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> from pressing her face against the cold window. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Consider it an early Solstice present,” Yang said, and she must have imagined the way her heart fluttered when Blake’s blush deepened ever so slightly. "Speaking of, Ruby and I are going to visit our dad for a few days for the Solstice. I'm sure he'd love to meet you!"</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Blake blushed and looked away, a little guiltily. "I'd love to, really," she said timidly, and Yang's heart sank. "But Sun and I already have plans to go out for the Solstice."</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Yang's appetite mysteriously disappeared after that.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>After several minutes of absent-mindedly poking at her food, Yang jumped a little when she herself was poked.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>"Hey," Blake asked softly. "You okay? You went all quiet."</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Yang lied. "Just spaced out for a bit."</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Blake didn't seem convinced, but thankfully she didn't press further. Yang wasn't even sure what she'd say even if she did. The effect Blake had been having on her lately was just very confusing. Yang had never been terribly concerned with how people saw her, but for some reason she constantly wanted to impress Blake. To make her laugh. To make her happy. And being around Blake made </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yang</span>
  </em>
  <span> happy! She </span>
  <em>
    <span>craved </span>
  </em>
  <span>Blake's attention, and she couldn't puzzle out </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Not that it particularly mattered, she supposed. She and Blake were going to be partners for the next four years, so the fact that being around her made Yang feel so nice could only be a good thing, right?</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Her thoughts were interrupted by Ruby dramatically standing up with one foot on the table and pointing at the rest of the team. "Alright, Team RWBY! As Team Leader, I declare a Team Meeting outside in precisely ten minutes!"</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  
  <span>Ten minutes later, the most adorable drill sergeant Remnant had ever seen paced back and forth in front of Yang, Blake, and Weiss, who stood knee-deep in snow. Blake was pressed firmly against Yang for warmth, and the touch was sending sparks coursing through Yang's body, a warm glow radiating from the contact and making her heart do all sorts of flips and flutters.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>"Alright team!" Ruby declared. "This snow presents us with an opportunity! An opportunity for training, in tactical snow-based warfare!"</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Weiss groaned. "You want us to have a snowball fight?"</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>"Yes, but I called it a fancy name, so as my BFF you </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to agree to it!" Ruby replied cheerily.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>"I'll do no such—" Weiss was cut off by a snowball splattering directly into her face. Distantly, Nora cackled maniacally. Weiss wiped the snow off her face. "On second thought, Ruby, I think that's a </span>
  <em>
    <span>wonderful </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    The snowball fight ended resoundingly in RWBY's favor. Without any relevant semblances, JNPR was at the mercy of Ruby's extreme speed, Weiss's tactical use of glyphs, Blake's deft evasion with her shadow clones, and Yang… well, in truth Yang was distracted for much of the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Watching Blake enjoy herself and show her playful side, in Yang's humble opinion, should have been considered one of the Wonders of the World. The way her eyes squeezed shut as she smiled and laughed, the gracefulness and elegance with which she moved,  the confidence she showed in every aspect of herself on the battlefield… it was a whole different side of her. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>side of her. Yang didn't know exactly what had happened in Blake's life that had caused this light to flicker and dim, but she resolved never to let it happen to her again. Blake deserved to be happy. Hell, she deserved the </span>
  <em>
    <span>world</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful</span>
  </em>
  <span>, in every conceivable sense of the word and more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    And right now, turned away from Yang and throwing her fist in the air victoriously, she was also an extremely tempting target.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    With a sly grin, Yang cocked her arm and sent a snowball sailing right into the back of Blake's head. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>"Ack!" Blake exclaimed, shoulders hunched as the cold snow fell into her collar. She turned around with a glint in her eye. "Oh, this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>war</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Xiao Long." Slowly, with a mesmerising sort of confidence, Blake crouched down and began gathering snow in her hands, never once breaking eye contact with Yang. It was almost hypnotic, and Yang barely had time to register the snowball hurtling towards her face and duck out of the way, rolling aside and, if she was being honest with herself, getting covered in more snow than she would have if she'd just taken the hit.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>As she rolled, she scooped up another snowball and threw it in Blake's direction. Blake deftly leapt out of the way, leaving behind a clone that fizzled out as the snowball passed through it. Another snowball came Yang's way, and she dodged, launching herself bodily at Blake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    The ravenette allowed herself to be tackled, the two of them landed in a giggling heap in the snow. Yang rolled off of her and looked over to see her sitting up, snowflakes covering her hair and eyelashes, the powdery white shimmering in a brilliant contrast to the midnight of her locks as she threw her head back and laughed, the sound like sparkling crystal, and watching her, Yang realized that she felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy</span>
  </em>
  <span>—</span>
  <em>
    <span>truly </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>happy</em>
  </b>
  <span>, not just an empty shell of joy, and in the warm light of the Main Avenue lamps her soft skin had an almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>ethereal </span>
  </em>
  <span>glow and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>looking </span>
  </em>
  <span>at her made Yang's heart swell and flutter and thump and ache in ways it </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>had before except, she realised, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span>, many times, for many girls back at Signal, but back then she just hadn't known what it meant but now that it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Blake </span>
  </em>
  <span>it seemed so obvious and the thought that it could have ever been anything else felt profoundly absurd and oh.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>Fuck.</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>Yang Xiao Long had gone and fallen helplessly in love, hadn't she?</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please feel free to let me know what you think in the comments! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, and what you want to see! Your feedback is a big part of what keeps me motivated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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